Barbarella
Reviews
Kamurai
Decent watch, might watch again, but can't recommend unless it's for a Bad Movie Night. I want to like this movie, it really might have been a great movie, once upon a time, but it still would have been a "comedy-whatever" movie, and it's humor is done well. The production value is laughable 50 years later, but even so there are odd choices most likely done for the imagery or comedic effect. It is worth noting the changes in the MPAA over the past 50 years: the movie begins with a "zero g" striptease with tits out and fully nude (I didn't look close enough to determine if the cat got out), and from then on, her tits are pretty much out for about half the run time, sometimes behind plastic or transparent fabric, but the movie is rated PG. I want to like the movie, but it's so bizarre at times, and it's not a personal story for Barbarella it's an assigned mission, so it's hard to be invested in the actual story.
Filipe Manuel Neto
**Revolutionary in its time, and still highly regarded today, it is an attack on good visual taste and brings a very stupid story.** There are films that stand out because they are really very good, for the high quality of the production, the work of the actors and the story that is told. But a film doesn't become popular or iconic just for that... there are films that are so admittedly bad and strange that, in a way, they become remarkable and enter the so-called popular memory or collective memory. _Barbarella_ is a film inspired by a 60's comic book, and both the original material and the film itself were very influenced by the “hippie” culture, the libertarian ideas of May 68 and the Sexual Revolution. It was a time when eroticism became popular and massively sought after and exploited by the arts. Only if we understand this can we understand why this film is the way it is. Despite doing justice to the source material, the script tells a story so fanciful and idiotic that only someone from that time could appreciate it: Barbarella is (I really don't want to have to take this stereotype, but it's blatant) a dumb blonde, immensely attractive, who is sent by Planet Earth to another galaxy, in search of a lost scientist and the weapons he had. She comes into contact with various aliens and is almost always seduced or "convinced" into having sex. At a certain point, she becomes involved in a rebellion against a queen of a perverse city, where they try to kill her in a machine that causes an "overdose" of sexual pleasure. Obviously, this fails, and the movie ends with the blonde astronaut winning. I didn't see sex scenes in the film, but the character appears half-naked many times, which then was truly revolutionary – almost pornographic. For us, the way she is seduced is so clearly misogynistic that in some cases it would be a crime, and it's hard for me to think that the film was so calmly received, but those were other times. If this film were released now, without a doubt, it would be so controversial for its sexist sexuality that I think the feminist movements would boycott it. Also, the dialogues, the situations and the whole concept of the movie are pretty dumb. The film was a French-American production and a good part of the cast is French-speaking, and I would like to highlight, on the positive side, the participation of the great Marcel Marceau, in a small but relevant speaking role. The director was Roger Vadim, and then he was married to the actress and sex symbol Jane Fonda, who, thus, secured the protagonist role. For future memory exist the statements, by the actress and the director, about Fonda's insecurity about herself and the way she didn't feel comfortable with the character and her nudity. Even so, and despite everything, Fonda did what she could with the terrible material she was given. We can still positively highlight the contributions of John Phillip Law and Anita Pallenberg. Technically, the film stands out for its futuristic “trash” scenography, evident, for example, in the protagonist's ship and in the city of Sogo. It can be visually horrible, an attack on good taste or logic, but back then it was something quite avant-garde, as were the costumes, particularly Barbarella's sexy spacesuits (which could almost be used as bathing suits). The rest is pretty bad: the cinematography is boring and dull, the camera work is average, the soundtrack is kitsch.
CinemaSerf
I can't help but wonder what Jane Fonda might think if she were to look back on this sexy sci-fi nonsense from 50 years ago. It is not alone in being terrible - there were plenty of drug-induced/enhanced films made in the late 60s so as to render this particular effort indeterminable from many others; but the fact that Fonda took on this role as an intergalactic space cadet on the search for "Durand Durand" and his (euphemistic ?) "Positronic Ray" is what is astonishing. The script is dreadful, the props buyer obviously didn't have the budget to stretch beyond paper mâché and bubble-wrap and the synthesised music is only marginally more interesting than that you might have heard in a Soviet lift around the same time. John Philip Law was already in his 30's when he agreed to dress in a large nappy and don some huge angelic wings as "Pygar" and Anita Pallenberg "The Great Tyrant" was pretty much never seen on screen again. It has acquired cult status, but as is usual with most similarly described films - nobody is ever truly sure why...
JPV852
Got the new Arrow Video 4K release and decided to give this another watch. Still not great but lots of fun to watch and of course Jane Fonda was sexy as hell. Wouldn't mind seeing the novel getting another adaptation, I can see someone like Edgar Wright giving it a shot (perhaps with Ana de Armas in the lead). **3.0/5**
Movie Recommendation
Robot Monster1953-06-24Ro-Man, an alien robot who greatly resembles a gorilla in a diving helmet, is sent to earth to destroy all human life. Ro-Man falls in love with one of the last six remaining humans, and struggles to understand how his programming can instruct him to kill her while his heart demands that he can't.More...
Barbarian Queen1985-11-30Set during the days of the Roman Empire. A simple village is raided by Roman troops, and most of the people are whisked off to be slaves or killed. Three women survive and set off to liberate their people. When they arrive at the Roman city, they team up with the local underground to seek vengeance and liberation of the slavesMore...
Different for Girls1996-10-01Paul and Kim meet when their vehicles collide. Paul is fascinated with the attractive Kim. It turns out that the two were childhood friends in Catholic boys' school, but back then, before the operation, Kim was named Karl.More...
It Happened Tomorrow1944-03-31A young turn-of-the-century newspaper man finds he can get hold of the next day's paper. This brings more problems than fortune, especially as his new girlfriend is part of a phony clairvoyant act.More...
Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa1994-02-25A man belongs to a middle-class family and is intent on pursuing his career with a music group, despite his dad's disapproval. He is also in love with the lead singer, but she sees him mainly as a friend.More...
Kindred2020-11-06When her boyfriend Ben suddenly dies in an accident, mother-to-be Charlotte collapses upon receiving the news. She wakes up in Ben’s family home, a crumbling old manor house in the middle of nowhere with Ben’s overbearing mother and his controlling stepbrother who are determined to care for her. Grief-stricken and increasingly haunted by visions possibly brought on by the pregnancy, Charlotte begins to doubt the family's intentions and her suspicions grow that they may be trying to control her and her unborn baby.More...
Untold: Sign Stealer2024-08-26In this sports documentary, Connor Stalions addresses the allegations surrounding the Michigan football sign-stealing scandal for the first time.More...
Love Ranch2010-06-30Story of a couple that starts the first legal brothel in Nevada and a boxer they own a piece of.More...
Electric Shadows2005-04-07For no apparent reason, a mute young woman assaults a youth who delivers water on his bicycle, injuring him and ruining his bike. Surprisingly, she asks him to feed her fish while she is in custody. Her tiny apartment, he discovers, is a shrine to his favorite escape, the movies.More...
Zeta One1969-12-01A race of sexy, other-dimensional specimens arrive to Earth to kidnap women to repopulate their planet.More...
Killer1972-03-01Whilst being transferred to a psychiatric hospital, a ruthless serial killer Gassot makes a break and goes on the run. He arrives in Marseilles, intending to escape abroad. Here, he falls for a young prostitute, Gerda.More...
Vamos a la Playa2023-04-27When backpacker millennials Benjamin, Judith and Katharina travel to Cuba to find Katharina’s missing brother Wanja, they become more and more entrapped within a maze of delusions, sincere feelings and sexual desires: It begins as an exciting adventure and turns into a passionate love triangle.More...
Wheels of Fortune2020-11-01To claim a big inheritance, a down-on-his-luck mechanic must win a series of competitions as outlined in his birth father's will.More...
A Barefoot Dream2010-06-24Kim Won-kang, a former soccer prospect, opens a sporting goods store in East Timor. When he soon realizes the residents cannot afford the equipment, he starts teaching the kids how to play soccer.More...
Z.P.G.1972-05-25In the not too distant future, an overpopulated Earth government makes it illegal to have children for a generation. One couple, unsatisfied with their substitute robot baby, breaks the rules.More...
Kennel Tokorozawa1992-02-21Chika Tokorozawa, the daughter of a pet shop owner, seems unable to get away from her brave but stupid dog, Rin Tin Tin (played by famous Japanese comedian Jimmy Onishi). The dog seems to be in love with her owner to the point of obsession, but his dream of getting with the girl is thwarted over and over again by everyone and everything around him, including his very uninterested owner. Based on the ecchi comedy manga by Maki Ootsubo, originally published in Weekly Young Sunday.More...
Barcelona Christmas Night2015-12-04Multiple love stories unfold in Barcelona during Christmas's Eve.More...
Death Ship1980-03-07Survivors of a tragic shipping collision are rescued by a mysterious black ship which appears out of the fog. Little do they realise that the ship is actually a Nazi torture ship which has sailed the seas for years, luring unsuspecting sailors aboard and killing them off one by one.More...
Carry On Screaming!1966-05-20The sinister Dr. Watt has an evil scheme going—he's kidnapping beautiful young women and turning them into mannequins to sell to local stores. Fortunately for him, Detective Sergeant Bung is on the case, and he doesn't have a clue!More...
Similar Movies
Dr. No
1962-10-07Agent 007 battles mysterious Dr. No, a scientific genius bent on destroying the U.S. space program. As the countdown to disaster begins, Bond must go to Jamaica, where he encounters beautiful Honey Ryder, to confront a megalomaniacal villain in his massive island headquarters.M*A*S*H
1970-02-18One of the world's most acclaimed comedies, M*A*S*H focuses on three Korean War Army surgeons brilliantly brought to life by Donald Sutherland, Tom Skerritt and Elliott Gould. Though highly skilled and deeply dedicated, they adopt a hilarious, lunatic lifestyle as an antidote to the tragedies of their Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, and in the process infuriate Army bureaucrats. Robert Duvall, Gary Burghoff and Sally Kellerman co-star as a sanctimonious Major, an other-worldly Corporal, and a self-righteous yet lusty nurse.From Russia with Love...
1963-10-10Agent 007 is back in the second installment of the James Bond series, this time battling a secret crime organization known as SPECTRE. Russians Rosa Klebb and Kronsteen are out to snatch a decoding device known as the Lektor, using the ravishing Tatiana to lure Bond into helping them. Bond willingly travels to meet Tatiana in Istanbul, where he must rely on his wits to escape with his life in a series of deadly encounters with the enemy.Goldfinger
1964-09-20Special agent 007 comes face to face with one of the most notorious villains of all time, and now he must outwit and outgun the powerful tycoon to prevent him from cashing in on a devious scheme to raid Fort Knox -- and obliterate the world's economy.Thunderball
1965-12-11A criminal organization has obtained two nuclear bombs and are asking for a 100 million pound ransom in the form of diamonds in seven days or they will use the weapons. The secret service sends James Bond to the Bahamas to once again save the world.Ben-Hur
1959-11-18In 26 AD, Judah Ben-Hur, a Jew in ancient Judea, opposes the occupying Roman empire. Falsely accused by a Roman childhood friend-turned-overlord of trying to kill the Roman governor, he is put into slavery and his mother and sister are taken away as prisoners.You Only Live Twice
1967-06-13A mysterious spacecraft captures Russian and American space capsules and brings the two superpowers to the brink of war. James Bond investigates the case in Japan and comes face to face with his archenemy Blofeld.On Her Majesty's Secr...
1969-12-18James Bond tracks his archnemesis, Ernst Blofeld, to a mountaintop retreat in the Swiss alps where he is training an army of beautiful, lethal women. Along the way, Bond falls for Italian contessa Tracy Draco, and marries her in order to get closer to Blofeld.Oldboy
2003-11-21With no clue how he came to be imprisoned, drugged and tortured for 15 years, a desperate man seeks revenge on his captors.Pulp Fiction
1994-09-10A burger-loving hit man, his philosophical partner, a drug-addled gangster's moll and a washed-up boxer converge in this sprawling, comedic crime caper. Their adventures unfurl in three stories that ingeniously trip back and forth in time.Diamonds Are Forever
1971-12-14Diamonds are stolen only to be sold again in the international market. James Bond infiltrates a smuggling mission to find out who's guilty. The mission takes him to Las Vegas where Bond meets his archenemy Blofeld.The Man with the Gold...
1974-12-04Cool government operative James Bond searches for a stolen invention that can turn the sun's heat into a destructive weapon. He soon crosses paths with the menacing Francisco Scaramanga, a hitman so skilled he has a seven-figure working fee. Bond then joins forces with the swimsuit-clad Mary Goodnight, and together they track Scaramanga to a Thai tropical isle hideout where the killer-for-hire lures the slick spy into a deadly maze for a final duel.Pink Flamingos
1972-03-17Notorious Baltimore criminal and underground figure Divine goes up against Connie & Raymond Marble, a sleazy married couple who make a passionate attempt to humiliate her and seize her tabloid-given title as "The Filthiest Person Alive".A Hard Day's Night
1964-07-07Capturing John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr in their electrifying element, 'A Hard Day's Night' is a wildly irreverent journey through this pastiche of a day in the life of The Beatles during 1964. The band have to use all their guile and wit to avoid the pursuing fans and press to reach their scheduled television performance, in spite of Paul's troublemaking grandfather and Ringo's arrest.Shaun of the Dead
2004-04-09Shaun lives a supremely uneventful life, which revolves around his girlfriend, his mother, and, above all, his local pub. This gentle routine is threatened when the dead return to life and make strenuous attempts to snack on ordinary Londoners.Fantasia
1940-11-13Walt Disney's timeless masterpiece is an extravaganza of sight and sound! See the music come to life, hear the pictures burst into song and experience the excitement that is Fantasia over and over again.Monty Python and the ...
1975-04-03King Arthur, accompanied by his squire, recruits his Knights of the Round Table, including Sir Bedevere the Wise, Sir Lancelot the Brave, Sir Robin the Not-Quite-So-Brave-As-Sir-Lancelot and Sir Galahad the Pure. On the way, Arthur battles the Black Knight who, despite having had all his limbs chopped off, insists he can still fight. They reach Camelot, but Arthur decides not to enter, as "it is a silly place".Braindead
1992-08-13When a Sumatran rat-monkey bites Lionel Cosgrove's mother, she's transformed into a zombie and begins killing (and transforming) the entire town while Lionel races to keep things under control.Evil Dead II
1987-03-13Ash Williams and his girlfriend Linda find a log cabin in the woods with a voice recording from an archeologist who had recorded himself reciting ancient chants from "The Book of the Dead." As they play the recording an evil power is unleashed taking over Linda's body.Army of Darkness
1992-10-31Ash, a handsome, shotgun-toting, chainsaw-armed department store clerk, is time warped backwards into England's Dark Ages, where he romances a beauty and faces legions of the undead.